Batman the Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition

I wasn't built-in a Batman fan, I was made 1 on the day my parents took me to the theater to see Tim Burton's Batman just ahead of my 7th birthday. From the opening movements of that movie's iconic score and that first rooftop fight with the two thieves, I became an instant Batman fan. I immediately stopped reading Spider-Human comics and went full on die-hard Batman comic collecting. Didn't matter if the result was old or new, I bought it. Once Batman Returns left theaters and Warner Bros. announced Batman: The Animated Series , I was glued to my tv set ready after schoolhouse eagerly pending the two-episode premiere.

The first time Danny Elfman'due south rejiggered theme started playing against the neo-noir deco blitheness styling, I knew this show would be something special. And homo, that commencement time Man-Bat appeared on my Television receiver screen was probably the commencement fourth dimension I let out what I now affectionally call "nerd squeals." The sound of pure joy and excitement that simply tin't be contained as you witness a graphic symbol come up to life in a manner that yous'd just previously experienced in single comic book frames. And that'southward how things would go for me. Each calendar week a new episode premiered and I would be there with my after-school snack waiting to devour another adventure producer Brice Timm cooked upwardly with his principal vocalism bandage of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. equally Alfred, Robert Hastings every bit Commissioner Gordon, Loren Lester as Robin, Robert Costanzo, as Harvey Bullock. That says nothing of the incredible guest cast with Mark Hamill's Joker, Adrienne Barbeau every bit Catwoman, Richard Moll as Two-Face and non to mention Arleen Sorkin's now iconic Harley Quinn. There's a good reason why they keep coming back to this vocalisation cast for animated films and video games - they're perfect!

Every bit the quality of the live action movies apace dwindled, The Blithe Series became all the more important and treasured. I frustratingly staggered out of Batman Forever and later Batman and Robin wondering if no one developing those movies fifty-fifty bothered to sentry The Blithe Series , let lonely read any of the comic books in order to spiral up so many iconic characters then badly. When Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero came out, they were similar a balm for the terrible cinematic fire of those final two live-activeness films before the franchise underwent its reboot Batman Begins .

To this solar day, I am amazed at how well Timm and visitor were able to pluck iconic characters and many obscure characters out of the comics, give them their own unique spin while staying true to their roots. Clayface, Poison Ivy, Scarface, the Penguin, Killer Croc, Bane, let alone adding to the heated fan debate and defoliation almost pronouncing Ra's al Ghul's name correctly while maintaining his backstory!

My absolute favorite episode is "Beware the Gray Ghost," featuring a guest voice appearance past Adam W as an aged iconic superhero actor. There were many, many peachy episodes throughout the serial, but this one nevertheless gets me a little emotional every time. And it was awesome watching it all over once again in HD. Now that Mr. West is no longer with u.s.a., information technology became fifty-fifty more poignant and impressive how respectful this series was to the long history of Batman.

It'd been a couple years since I terminal took a look through The Animated Serial . As Warner Archive began releasing Mask of the Phantasm and SubZero on Blu-ray I was very tempted to buy those and then cutting my losses and choice upwardly the series on DVD. I honestly never idea it would come up to Blu-ray, and considered myself already very lucky that Batman '66 fabricated it to Blu-ray at all. Now it'due south here and I couldn't be happier. With over 40 hours of content, I've got several days of gleeful nostalgia-infused binge watching alee of me.

[NOTE: Episodes are in production social club, not broadcast premier gild. ]

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Batman: The Complete Animated Series finally makes its long-awaited Blu-ray debut courtesy of Warner Brothers in a hitting 12-disc Blu-ray set comprised of the television set show forth with the Warner Archive discs for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero . The outer example is a rather flimsy, easily dented and damaged newspaper box that holds the gear up together with the three sectional mini Funko Popular figures of Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn, the 7 3D lenticular stills, and the Blu-rays. Thankfully you don't actually need to concur onto the paper outer box if you're intending to keep everything out on display, the Blu-rays accept their ain attractive blackness and red box that sits nicely on the shelf without taking up too much space.

The 12 discs are housed in an attractive blackness hardcover book with a sturdy black cardboard slipcover with ruby foil inlay with the Batman symbol on the back and the Batman silhouette and evidence logo on the forepart. The discs are safe and secure in the book and slide out easily without risk of impairment to the discs or packaging.

The discs load direct to static-image master menus featuring Warner's traditional navigation system. A digital skid is also included for the entire Animated series - not the films. Currently this only redeems in SD on VUDU, and so hopefully, that'll get upgraded to HD shortly with these new masters.